


the Spaces Between

by aria_dc_al_fine



Series: Love and Electrons (the things we share) [2]
Category: Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Cyborgs, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-03
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 05:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/581615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aria_dc_al_fine/pseuds/aria_dc_al_fine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snippets of Bond's life with his (special) persocom. And what the rest of MI6 think of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Impractical Sentiment

**Author's Note:**

> This doesn't make any sense if you haven't read 'Ghost in the Machine' first.

4.1.

‘Shouldn’t you have ordered a hardware with female parts instead?’ the text asked from the screen, the cursor blinking patiently next to the white font. Bond preferred this to the digitalised voice they tried yesterday.

The agent looked affronted. “No,” He told the monitor, aghast.

‘Come on,’ Q displayed, ‘You’re a 1 in Kinsey scale. Or 2. Not anywhere above 2, at least.’

The minuscule crease between Bond’s brows told the AI that he didn’t know what Q was writing about. 

They didn't interact for a moment before Q tried again. 'I want to look more handsome. What do you think of auburn hair? Or longer limbs?'

"No," Bond's answer was firm, his blue eyes steely. His expression was not unlike one a captured agent would show to his tormentors, the 'I'd rather die before I let you change my mind' kind.

The AI left it alone.

(Bond was clinging to familiarity. Q knew. It was impractical, sentimental even, but damn if it didn't make Q's processor stop for 0.000471 second every time an input signalling Bond's _impatience frustration yearning_  triggered a command through Q's circuitry.)


	2. Office Gossip

4.12.

“He’s becoming attached.”

That sentence seemingly came out of the blue, after a management meeting where every head of department presented his or her revised quarterly budget and KPIs evaluation. Moneypenny had flitted about, supplying paperwork and data for her boss.

It had been strange to see Q’s video thoroughly reporting Q-branch’s financial variances and new models of weapons. Moneypenny never expected to feel bereft at the absence of the gangly, messy-haired persocom. He (it?) had always come to meetings before. He practically lived in MI6, after all.

A question had arisen, during the meeting, from the head of Accounts, a severe lady with her dark hair always tied to a proper bun, never missing any details when it came to numbers. “I don’t see your hardware replacement cost factored in the budget, Q. Will you continue to operate like this?” she pointed at the projector, her gesture meant to encompass the automated clicking, the disembodied voice, the whole works.

Q was silent for a second before there was an answer. “No, I’m having a replacement persocom made. It’s still at the manufacturer.”

The head of Accounts, who doubled up as sort of CFO of MI6 (Six’s objective wasn’t really to earn revenue – the organisation was more of a cost centre), raised her brow. “Then shouldn’t you have included it in the budget? And…is it really necessary, you having a humanoid avatar?” She’d always been sore that Q-branch used literally a quarter of MI6’s money.

“It’s not paid by our budget,” it was one of the few instances M talked during the meeting. He was a rather quiet yet deadly effective chair. “Someone made a donation for it.”

The head of Accounts’ brows rose to her hairline.

“We shouldn’t take a horse gift in the mouth,” Tanner chimed in. “Right, if there aren’t any more questions for Q, shall I go next?”

So that was the debacle. And now here they were, M, Moneypenny and Tanner, the Chief of Staff hanging around after everyone else had left.

(Except Q, of course. Q was everywhere in MI6’s building. His input sensors, at least.)

“007 had acted against orders before,” Moneypenny mentioned, her tone light. She wasn’t comfortable talking behind Q’s back in this building (well, anywhere in the world, actually, considering the AI’s hacking capabilities, but more so in this building). “And it wasn’t just the dead man in the middle of the desert with engine oil in his stomach.”

M remained quiet.

“Not a bad thing, if you ask me,” Tanner continued voicing his opinion, “He’s less…erratic now, if you know what I mean.”

Less touch and go. Less careless with his life.

M acknowledged his Chief of Staff with a look. Yes, he knew.

Moneypenny supported Bond’s…relationship with Q wholeheartedly. Whoever said that men who don’t fear death make good agents are stupid. Such agents would not have much motivation to make it through life and death situations. The persocom gave Bond something to return to, while Bond knew that if he still were to die (couldn’t help it sometimes, very few 00s made it to retirement after all), he would not leave anyone behind who would be hurt like how his parents, Vesper Lynd and the old M had hurt him.

( _This was where Moneypenny would find herself wrong, much later. She’d underestimated the persocom’s capacity to understand and experience emotions._ )

“It’s working rather well, I’d say, the…partnership,” Tanner voiced what was on her mind, what was on everyone’s mind, but was previously left unsaid. “This may even be recommended to future 00s,” he chuckled.

Moneypenny thought of the playful 006, or the serious and unassuming 009 [1] with Companion units as their handlers, and was amusedly horrified. 006 would ignore the persocom (not worth spending the effort to flirt with) while 009 would treat the persocom like, well, a persocom (human-shaped laptop-cum-smartphone).  _God forbids._

M gave his Chief of Staff another look which could be interpreted as _don’t be stupid_ and _don’t you have work to do?_

“Right, the field agents review,” Tanner stood up. “That was a good meeting. Good day, M. Ta, Moneypenny.”

Moneypenny gave the balding man a nod as he waved.

 _Right_ , the efficient PA thought, _It's time to work._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. 006 is borrowed from 'Bit Bang Theory' by manic_intent at http://archiveofourown.org/works/574457/chapters/1029666 (brilliant fic!) and 009 is borrowed from '006 and the great double-oh catastrophe of 2012' by lincesque at http://archiveofourown.org/works/574608


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